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Cultivate U
Cultivate U
Power is mandatory. Choice is not.
In a world where civilization survives only because cultivators stand between humanity and annihilation, Gale Kent has already paid the price of cultivation in blood.
Orphaned by a beast wave. Disgraced by politics. Raised by a fallen Imperial Inquisitor.
Gale never wanted the path of power, but when his cultivation test shatters every stone designed to measure it, refusal stops being an option.
Welcome to Cultivation U, the Empire’s most dangerous university. A place where talent is weaponized, failure is punished, and advancement comes with consequences no system can quantify.
Gale is no prodigy blessed by fate. He’s a late bloomer with a bad attitude, a dangerous cultivation anomaly, and a habit of punching problems in the face. When he’s sentenced to six months among the university’s “misfits,” he quickly learns that being different doesn’t make you special—it makes you hunted.
Between brutal training, political enemies, deadly secrets, and a cultivation system that refuses to behave, Gale must decide what kind of cultivator he will become.
A tool.
Or something far more dangerous.
Cultivate U is a Wuxia LitRPG progression fantasy A detailed cultivation system with real consequences.Academy politics, rival factions, and Imperial intrigue.Slow-burn power growth earned through grit, pain, and cleverness.Snark, banter, and characters who refuse to stay in their lanes.
Power must be earned. Ascension is never free.
In a world where civilization survives only because cultivators stand between humanity and annihilation, Gale Kent has already paid the price of cultivation in blood.
Orphaned by a beast wave. Disgraced by politics. Raised by a fallen Imperial Inquisitor.
Gale never wanted the path of power, but when his cultivation test shatters every stone designed to measure it, refusal stops being an option.
Welcome to Cultivation U, the Empire’s most dangerous university. A place where talent is weaponized, failure is punished, and advancement comes with consequences no system can quantify.
Gale is no prodigy blessed by fate. He’s a late bloomer with a bad attitude, a dangerous cultivation anomaly, and a habit of punching problems in the face. When he’s sentenced to six months among the university’s “misfits,” he quickly learns that being different doesn’t make you special—it makes you hunted.
Between brutal training, political enemies, deadly secrets, and a cultivation system that refuses to behave, Gale must decide what kind of cultivator he will become.
A tool.
Or something far more dangerous.
Cultivate U is a Wuxia LitRPG progression fantasy A detailed cultivation system with real consequences.Academy politics, rival factions, and Imperial intrigue.Slow-burn power growth earned through grit, pain, and cleverness.Snark, banter, and characters who refuse to stay in their lanes.
Power must be earned. Ascension is never free.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2025
163 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
J.G. Johnson
5 books12 followersWelcome, and thanks for taking a look. I'm a bit of a scattershot. Currently, I live in Japan with my family; my wife, who is a violinist and my rambunctious son, who would even give a Tanuki a run for its money. I've been around and done a few things in my thirty-ish years on this planet, not that I have been on any others. Probably.
I did a stint in the army, but I was medically discharged most of the way through basic due to health problems. I learned a lot through it, and it changed a lot of my life as the plans that I had were drastically changed. It led me to work on my writing and here to Japan.
I am currently working on my Account of the Change series, but I'm taking a short break from it to work on a Lit-RPG fantasy that I have been tinkering with for a while now. But don't worry. I'll get back to my other series and plan to have at least one book for each out this year.
Whether you have read several of my books or are just looking to start on, I hope that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.
If you want more updates or just to chat, check out these places:
Website: https://nascentbooks.com
Twitter: @JgJ1126
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 4, 2026
Fanfreakingtastic!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out! Well done man!
What an amazing book! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I can not wait for the next book to come out! Well done man!
February 17, 2026
Very fun read
The book had a lot of humor And a lot of action Well worth the read. Nice twist at the end and I'm looking forward to the next book
The book had a lot of humor And a lot of action Well worth the read. Nice twist at the end and I'm looking forward to the next book
January 25, 2026
Below average
Starts off interesting. I thought the library concept was really clever and well done. However the story and characters are both a huge letdown. MC is always punished because rules matter yet the bad guys are never ever punished because the civil servants of a single city and their henchmen outrank royalty. More plot holes than plot. Add to it the odd decision to give the male MC a womans name and the princess a mans name. Forget about editing issues the story requires way too much suspension of common sense to enjoy.
Starts off interesting. I thought the library concept was really clever and well done. However the story and characters are both a huge letdown. MC is always punished because rules matter yet the bad guys are never ever punished because the civil servants of a single city and their henchmen outrank royalty. More plot holes than plot. Add to it the odd decision to give the male MC a womans name and the princess a mans name. Forget about editing issues the story requires way too much suspension of common sense to enjoy.
January 17, 2026
not good
Over reliance on ‘clever’ repartee, jokes that land a bit flat, and a narrative pace that feels impatient. It practically screams, ‘harem soon’ the first time a woman appears.
“Golf clap”? Because…they play *golf* on this world of cultivators and beast waves?
The prose is decent, though the wandering omniscient 3rd person POV is clunky.
DNF 21%
Over reliance on ‘clever’ repartee, jokes that land a bit flat, and a narrative pace that feels impatient. It practically screams, ‘harem soon’ the first time a woman appears.
“Golf clap”? Because…they play *golf* on this world of cultivators and beast waves?
The prose is decent, though the wandering omniscient 3rd person POV is clunky.
DNF 21%
March 5, 2026
This is a book that can't decide what it wants to be while adding in tropes constantly. The main heroine is a red head, who could have guessed, and immediately falls in love with the main character. The main character is an idiot that tries to emulate Ryan Reynolds playing Deadpool.
The story is just there. I guess there is an overarching plot of the book but I'd be hard pressed to call it a relevant plot or even important as it barely shows up till the end or when it's convenient to make the main character look good. The rest of the book is the cast training and horrible romance. Sure there are some small adventures or a crafting session but those all get rounded out in a single chapter.
The romance of the book is just downright horrible. First meeting and they are madly in love but you gotta drag it out for most of the book cause otherwise it would be boring. Sadly it's still boring and I am one of the people that complain authors don't drag it out longer. Most of it just feels fake as marriage is mentioned almost instantly.
The side characters literally show up, they just appear. Meet a random person the two leads have never met and tell all the secrets that would get the main character killed by anyone else instantly. Another character just appears out of basically thin air and all of them become a party.
The villains are basically non existent and are just overly evil when they do show up. They were pretty much pointless all throughout the book. It is especially bad because it is an open secret to the entire world that they are evil but nothing has been done about them because a plot device was needed.
Finally this book cannot decide what it wants to be. Does it want to be a cultivation novel? Does it want to be a crafting novel? Does it want to be an adventuring novel? How about a LitRPG? What about a really bad redition of the AI system from Dungeon Crawler Carl? This book tries to do everything and just can't. It does nothing right and the story feels sloppy because of it.
If you read this far the one thing this story does right is the mystery involving the main character and his abilities. This may be because literally no one knows anything but it at least keeps you as the reader intrigued.
The story is just there. I guess there is an overarching plot of the book but I'd be hard pressed to call it a relevant plot or even important as it barely shows up till the end or when it's convenient to make the main character look good. The rest of the book is the cast training and horrible romance. Sure there are some small adventures or a crafting session but those all get rounded out in a single chapter.
The romance of the book is just downright horrible. First meeting and they are madly in love but you gotta drag it out for most of the book cause otherwise it would be boring. Sadly it's still boring and I am one of the people that complain authors don't drag it out longer. Most of it just feels fake as marriage is mentioned almost instantly.
The side characters literally show up, they just appear. Meet a random person the two leads have never met and tell all the secrets that would get the main character killed by anyone else instantly. Another character just appears out of basically thin air and all of them become a party.
The villains are basically non existent and are just overly evil when they do show up. They were pretty much pointless all throughout the book. It is especially bad because it is an open secret to the entire world that they are evil but nothing has been done about them because a plot device was needed.
Finally this book cannot decide what it wants to be. Does it want to be a cultivation novel? Does it want to be a crafting novel? Does it want to be an adventuring novel? How about a LitRPG? What about a really bad redition of the AI system from Dungeon Crawler Carl? This book tries to do everything and just can't. It does nothing right and the story feels sloppy because of it.
If you read this far the one thing this story does right is the mystery involving the main character and his abilities. This may be because literally no one knows anything but it at least keeps you as the reader intrigued.
January 21, 2026
Great world-building, fun & fast-paced story, let down by lots of typos & spelling issues
This is a great start to a series, with a fully-realised world and a fun (as long as you like puns and other silly humour) fast-paced story.
Yes, it's set in a University, but unlike the usual Academy storylines, there's minimal exposure to classes and school issues which helps move the main storyline along.
The issues come in a number of consistent mis-spellings, and regular grammatical errors ("You're Aunt" - Really? Come on!).
If you're going to write about Cultivators and the Master-Disciple relationship, please learn the difference between "discipline" and "disciple"! A character cannot be their Master's discipline! They can, as their Master's disciple, learn their Master's discipline, but that's not the same thing!
Oh, and please note that the number 40 is spelled "Forty", not "Fourty"!
Get a good copyeditor, fix these and other issues, and this would be a great story. But right now, it's not.
This is a great start to a series, with a fully-realised world and a fun (as long as you like puns and other silly humour) fast-paced story.
Yes, it's set in a University, but unlike the usual Academy storylines, there's minimal exposure to classes and school issues which helps move the main storyline along.
The issues come in a number of consistent mis-spellings, and regular grammatical errors ("You're Aunt" - Really? Come on!).
If you're going to write about Cultivators and the Master-Disciple relationship, please learn the difference between "discipline" and "disciple"! A character cannot be their Master's discipline! They can, as their Master's disciple, learn their Master's discipline, but that's not the same thing!
Oh, and please note that the number 40 is spelled "Forty", not "Fourty"!
Get a good copyeditor, fix these and other issues, and this would be a great story. But right now, it's not.
January 29, 2026
What a fun read!
Plenty of snark, wit, and games. I laughed at most of it and read it all in a single sitting. The story is well-written... This one goes into my permanent collection.
My only complaint is the twenty or so ridiculous spelling errors. Example: Scarred and scarring spelled with one 'R' is related to FEAR, but that's not how they were used. 'Blot' during the final scene with Grady should be 'bolt'... Breath and breathe .... Wiping and whipping... Etc. Change the meaning of your writing.
Hand this book to someone close to you to read and they can point many of these errors, and similar, out. Once the spelling is corrected, this book would be PERFECTLY awesome.
Plenty of snark, wit, and games. I laughed at most of it and read it all in a single sitting. The story is well-written... This one goes into my permanent collection.
My only complaint is the twenty or so ridiculous spelling errors. Example: Scarred and scarring spelled with one 'R' is related to FEAR, but that's not how they were used. 'Blot' during the final scene with Grady should be 'bolt'... Breath and breathe .... Wiping and whipping... Etc. Change the meaning of your writing.
Hand this book to someone close to you to read and they can point many of these errors, and similar, out. Once the spelling is corrected, this book would be PERFECTLY awesome.
February 28, 2026
With a health dose of misogyny and a dash of homophobia masquerading as humor and "good dialogue", the author destroys any enjoyment I felt from the library concept. Every single female character is sexualized and objectified by the author and MC. As another reviewer said, there are more plot holes than plot, and even that is overshadowed by the author telling us - rarely showing - how the MC fantasizes on every single page to get revenge or date the princess. And, we can't forget the lazy boring tropes, like the a pervert grandfather, the bookish female party character, the "protector" tank party member, or entitled noble brat antagonist. I hope another author takes the cultivation library and does something with it worth reading, because this isn't it.
February 7, 2026
meh.
It’s on okay read. Not terrible but not great either.
The cultivation in a modern world doesn’t really mesh well for me. I can see the author trying to interpret humour into the book but it just falls flat, majority of it was sexual in some way or form which is fine; if it’s from one person but you expect me to believe every single character even the empress enjoys sexual jokes? Nah.
I don’t think the book has a clear theme throughout it reminds me of one of them early harem novels that doesn’t actually turn into an harem until the second or third instalment. So I won’t be continuing this.
It’s on okay read. Not terrible but not great either.
The cultivation in a modern world doesn’t really mesh well for me. I can see the author trying to interpret humour into the book but it just falls flat, majority of it was sexual in some way or form which is fine; if it’s from one person but you expect me to believe every single character even the empress enjoys sexual jokes? Nah.
I don’t think the book has a clear theme throughout it reminds me of one of them early harem novels that doesn’t actually turn into an harem until the second or third instalment. So I won’t be continuing this.
January 30, 2026
Excellent Book!
The MC is a surprising character with a bit of a temper. There are a couple of interesting twists and a little bit of romance with a princess. Enemies just keep coming out of the proverbial woodwork all stemming from one main source. Quirky sense of humor throughout the book had me burst out laughing uncontrollably at times. His teachers are monsters in the best Marine/Military way, pushing him to get better for his own survival. Definitely recommend! Looking forward to reading the next book!
The MC is a surprising character with a bit of a temper. There are a couple of interesting twists and a little bit of romance with a princess. Enemies just keep coming out of the proverbial woodwork all stemming from one main source. Quirky sense of humor throughout the book had me burst out laughing uncontrollably at times. His teachers are monsters in the best Marine/Military way, pushing him to get better for his own survival. Definitely recommend! Looking forward to reading the next book!
February 15, 2026
Very entertaining
Pretty good tale. Characters were well fleshed and not just the 2D shadows we see in much of this genre. An interesting take on the cultivation theme in a modern setting. That though is where it unravels a bit for me. The world building is almost nonexistent. They have high speed trains, phones and the internet. That is roughly the sum total of what we see outside of the school.
And it ends on a minor cliff. I look forward to the next book anyway.
Pretty good tale. Characters were well fleshed and not just the 2D shadows we see in much of this genre. An interesting take on the cultivation theme in a modern setting. That though is where it unravels a bit for me. The world building is almost nonexistent. They have high speed trains, phones and the internet. That is roughly the sum total of what we see outside of the school.
And it ends on a minor cliff. I look forward to the next book anyway.
February 17, 2026
Wow…. that was pretty good
It’s pretty cool to have this genre take place in a technological advanced world. It’s a nice change of pace this book. I thought the main character’s smart mouth would get annoying but it surprisingly did not. The author managed to keep a balance. The world building was on point and all the characters presented good face. I definitely recommend this book.
It’s pretty cool to have this genre take place in a technological advanced world. It’s a nice change of pace this book. I thought the main character’s smart mouth would get annoying but it surprisingly did not. The author managed to keep a balance. The world building was on point and all the characters presented good face. I definitely recommend this book.
January 8, 2026
Fun book, but could use another editing run or two.
I enjoyed the book as a pure fluff read, but the incorrect words in too many places jarred me out of the storyline. ( like discipline instead of disciple throughout the book) It has potential and I'll probably read book two and hope it's cleaned up better.
I enjoyed the book as a pure fluff read, but the incorrect words in too many places jarred me out of the storyline. ( like discipline instead of disciple throughout the book) It has potential and I'll probably read book two and hope it's cleaned up better.
January 8, 2026
Brilliant with issues
The book is really good. New cultivation scheme, well thought out progression and a stunningly brilliant take on libraries (says the librarian.)
The issues have to do with editing. Missing words, misspellings, wrong word choices and more than one continuity error take you out of the story.
The book is really good. New cultivation scheme, well thought out progression and a stunningly brilliant take on libraries (says the librarian.)
The issues have to do with editing. Missing words, misspellings, wrong word choices and more than one continuity error take you out of the story.
January 12, 2026
I’ll be honest this was a five star but…
This was very much a five star in uniqueness and characters but where it fell short was proofreading. There were too many words that were miss spelled or the wrong word used that constantly threw me out of the story. I completely recommend the book just be aware it needs work on the proofreading side. Good Job.
This was very much a five star in uniqueness and characters but where it fell short was proofreading. There were too many words that were miss spelled or the wrong word used that constantly threw me out of the story. I completely recommend the book just be aware it needs work on the proofreading side. Good Job.
January 28, 2026
Really good
This book was quite a fun read. Sold action, interesting characters, and a great deal of humor.
I'm looking forward to the next one.
Highly recommended.
To the author. There were some grammar issues at points in the book. Personally, I found the more humorous than anything else. I'm just warning you because there are some grammar snobs around.
This book was quite a fun read. Sold action, interesting characters, and a great deal of humor.
I'm looking forward to the next one.
Highly recommended.
To the author. There were some grammar issues at points in the book. Personally, I found the more humorous than anything else. I'm just warning you because there are some grammar snobs around.
February 20, 2026
Funny and non stop action.
Gale must attention to the cultivation academy. When all he wants to do is be a Smith. Of course on the way to the academy there's a bully, who gets put in his place. And with that the year sets up. Great world creation, and funny comments. Can't wait for book two!
Gale must attention to the cultivation academy. When all he wants to do is be a Smith. Of course on the way to the academy there's a bully, who gets put in his place. And with that the year sets up. Great world creation, and funny comments. Can't wait for book two!
March 2, 2026
Kinda sloppy
Partially good world building, relationships seem to just materialize out of no where, some things have an ok description, others are way too vague. Couldn’t really get into it at times, but it was still interesting. Big questions still remain like why bond with a spirit weapon if anyone else can use it?
Partially good world building, relationships seem to just materialize out of no where, some things have an ok description, others are way too vague. Couldn’t really get into it at times, but it was still interesting. Big questions still remain like why bond with a spirit weapon if anyone else can use it?
January 21, 2026
Now this was good
A coming of age romance. Really enjoyed this. It was amazing to have a romance that wasn't a harem. It did get a little Keith Laumer at the end but it was still enjoyable. Not too bad an epilogue.
A coming of age romance. Really enjoyed this. It was amazing to have a romance that wasn't a harem. It did get a little Keith Laumer at the end but it was still enjoyable. Not too bad an epilogue.
January 21, 2026
wow just wow
This beautiful no exceptional story took me by surprise and hauled me through some excellent adventures and left me wanting more .. the laughter the characters… the story it’s bc all good
This beautiful no exceptional story took me by surprise and hauled me through some excellent adventures and left me wanting more .. the laughter the characters… the story it’s bc all good
January 22, 2026
A different take on Litrpg
Please read this book, you will be glad you did. A different approach to Iseki and Litrpg but well written and a lot of new ideas and approaches. Very refreshing compared to the standard litrpg. Can’t wait for next book in the series.
Please read this book, you will be glad you did. A different approach to Iseki and Litrpg but well written and a lot of new ideas and approaches. Very refreshing compared to the standard litrpg. Can’t wait for next book in the series.
January 22, 2026
The best snarky story I have read in years. Can't wait for the next book. Thank you.
Best story. I recommend to anyone who likes snarky dialogue. And a MC who won't quit. A story for late teens.
😅
Best story. I recommend to anyone who likes snarky dialogue. And a MC who won't quit. A story for late teens.
😅
January 26, 2026
A fun ride
Thoroughly enjoyed this, Combining a unique cultivation style with up and coming architecture, plus you get to laugh along the way. Everyone will be anxious for the next one...
Thoroughly enjoyed this, Combining a unique cultivation style with up and coming architecture, plus you get to laugh along the way. Everyone will be anxious for the next one...
January 27, 2026
Different kind of university
Great character development and story line. Would like more background history of main character. Hopefully next book we will find out more. Has a little romance and some humor. Great read for all ages and has some violence.
Great character development and story line. Would like more background history of main character. Hopefully next book we will find out more. Has a little romance and some humor. Great read for all ages and has some violence.
January 28, 2026
Excellent
This is everything you want from a new series. Characters that are likeable and engaging. A story that keeps you reading way after you should have stopped (who needs sleep). And room in the narrative for many more books to come.
This is everything you want from a new series. Characters that are likeable and engaging. A story that keeps you reading way after you should have stopped (who needs sleep). And room in the narrative for many more books to come.
January 28, 2026
An Exciting Humorous Romantic Romp
Enjoyed this humorous romantic romp. Yes there were issues: the character mixups and the wrong word, used BUT they in no way hurt the story. I look very much forward to the next book and what the foreshadowing hints at.
Enjoyed this humorous romantic romp. Yes there were issues: the character mixups and the wrong word, used BUT they in no way hurt the story. I look very much forward to the next book and what the foreshadowing hints at.
January 28, 2026
Really fun cultivation University story
This is one of those books that went by too fast and I'm depressed that there isn't a second book already written. I can't wait for the continuation. The main character was fun and snarky, I really enjoyed the character development.
This is one of those books that went by too fast and I'm depressed that there isn't a second book already written. I can't wait for the continuation. The main character was fun and snarky, I really enjoyed the character development.
January 31, 2026
Awesome read, great character development and story line.
Awesome read, great character development and story line. It needs some very minor spell checking and editing on two paragraphs. One of the best I’ve read in this genre.
Awesome read, great character development and story line. It needs some very minor spell checking and editing on two paragraphs. One of the best I’ve read in this genre.
February 1, 2026
Excellent Read
I loved the action,characters abd unexpected twists in this book. I am looking forward to the next installment in this hilarious adventure. I really enjoyed this non stop ride!
I loved the action,characters abd unexpected twists in this book. I am looking forward to the next installment in this hilarious adventure. I really enjoyed this non stop ride!
February 5, 2026
A must for anyone who likes cultivation novels
Great characters , plot development, and cultivation descriptions . Not the usual OP MC. As the dungeon says, WTF. Left me wanting more.
Great characters , plot development, and cultivation descriptions . Not the usual OP MC. As the dungeon says, WTF. Left me wanting more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews